Carrion is a unique action/horror/Metroidvania game which manages to effectively subvert common genre tropes by putting you in control of a grotesque, bloody monster, who is hellbent on obliterating its creators. Crawling and slithering around an underground laboratory, it is your goal to consume and rip apart any human you see with your far-reaching tentacles, growing stronger with each victim you claim. The controls are speedy and effortless, and the monster flies across the screen spreading a trail of blood across the floor, ceiling and walls. The music is also incredibly tense and cinematic, and many scenes reminded me of classic 80s body horror movies like The Thing and Re-animator!
The game is a semi-Metroidvania, as you progress through different environments growing your biomass by absorbing humans, and then you deposit your biomass into holes in the wall. These holes also save your progress, open doors to new locations, and increase the strength of your monster as its tendrils seep through the surrounding environments in a gloriously grisly way. The game was relatively easy to navigate but I must admit that I did occasionally get lost, as there is a lack of a map or navigational icons, and a fair bit of backtracking is required. However, a roar feature does assist in locating the save and warp points, but some of the level design was still a bit archaic.
As you progress in the game, you unlock different abilities to help take out your foes as well as to help you solve puzzles. The first ability you unlock allows you to launch webs, which can stun your enemies as well as allow you to pull down levers that you can otherwise not reach. The second ability is a slam move which enables you to break wooden walls and send your enemies flying! The enemies in the game also get stronger as you do, and I found it enjoyable having to change up my playstyle to eliminate those pesky soldiers with electric shields. You are able to change your abilities in sources of water, shedding your mass and absorbing it to switch between them.
The 16-bit art style is gorgeous, especially on the vibrant screen of the Nintendo Switch. There are cool grey labs, earthy green and brown underground sections and glowing underwater caves, all of which are painted red by the time you have slithered all over them. The game was relatively light on story, as you briefly switch perspectives to a human character for certain segments throughout, but these parts still felt fun and creative like something out of Alien or Prometheus! The sound design was also suitably spooky, the standouts being the terrified humans screaming for their lives, as well as the gory squelches and splatters from your dismembered enemies.
Whilst the puzzles in the game were relatively simplistic, they managed to break up the combat by allowing you to mix and match your abilities to access certain doors and levers. The ability to control humans was also interesting, but it did feel lacking compared to the rest of your arsenal. Conflicts with soldiers also had a decent amount of freedom, as you can roar to scare them, distract them by knocking out vents, and then take them out with your tendrils when their backs are turned. When your monster is very large, you have an extra health meter which makes up for your slower movement, but the smaller more agile form was useful for rushing certain enemies.
Overall, Carrion was a breath of fresh air and was a blast to play on the Nintendo Switch! The gameplay was smooth and satisfying, and the unique presentation of the art-style and tone was very much appreciated. Check this one out!
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